Skills

A skill contains instructions for a particular task, such as a weekly channel review, stock health check, or executive summary. It can also include reference files or scripts. The agent loads the skill when your request matches its description. Write a skill once, then enable it wherever you want agents to use that workflow. If you catch yourself explaining the same process twice, it probably belongs in a skill.

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Skills vs. instructions

Both shape how agents behave. The difference is when they apply: Rule of thumb: if it should apply to every message, it’s an instruction. If it applies to a type of task, it’s a skill.

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What’s in a skill

Every skill also gets a slug, like /weekly-channel-review. Type it in the message box to run the skill directly.

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Where skills live

Go to Agents → Settings → Skills. Skills are grouped by owner: Use the toggle to enable a skill for the built-in assistant. An enabled skill loads automatically when its description matches your request. Agents you create have their own skill settings; see Skills and your agents.

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Creating a skill

Select New skill, then choose how to create it: New skills are private. Use the visibility control to share a skill with a team or your organization. See Sharing a skill.

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Adding files to a skill

Open a skill you own and select + in the files sidebar. Dema stores documents in references/, scripts in scripts/, and images or media in assets/. Select a file to preview it. A skill with files looks like this: SKILL.md contains the skill’s name, description, and instructions. Other files provide material the agent needs for the task, such as a current price list or an analysis script.

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Using a skill

A skill can load automatically or on request:

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Skills and your agents

The built-in assistant uses the skills you enable in Settings. This choice applies only to you. Agents you create have a Skills section in their configuration. Add a skill from your library or write one for that agent. Everyone who uses the agent can use its skills through the agent. When you add a private skill to a shared agent, everyone who can use the agent may also be able to use that skill through it. Dema shows who gains access before you confirm. See Sharing agents and sessions.

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Sharing a skill

A skill can be visible to just you (private), to specific teams, or to everyone in your organization. Only the owner can change this from the skill’s visibility control. Narrowing a shared skill back down warns you if people would lose access through agents that use it. See Access and sharing for the general model.

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Moving skills around

Export a skill to move it to another organization or keep a backup. The .skill file includes its instructions and attached files. To import one, select New skill → Upload a skill. If the slug already exists, Dema asks how to handle it.

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Writing a good skill

Write only the task-specific guidance the agent needs:

• Describe when to use it. “Analyze campaign profitability across channels. Use when asked to evaluate campaigns or reallocate marketing spend” is clearer than “A skill about campaigns.”
• Define the task. Include the steps, required definitions, and expected output.
• Keep one job per skill. Split unrelated tasks into separate skills.
• Remove general advice. Keep information that is specific to your organization or workflow.

If you need help drafting the skill, use Create with agent and edit the result before saving it.